Telemedicine startups blocked from selling brand Ozempic, accepting less efficient drugs
After the telemedicine startup Recently losing the ability to sell patented copies of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, some companies have begun to turn to a different, less effective drug used in the U.S. market since 2010. It is often considered to be a harbinger of the ozempic and Eli Lilly Zepboundide interact and Liraglutide and Privist and Privist and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders and Drifders.
The drug was originally sold by Novo Nordisk under the Victroza and Saxenda brands and has been sold in the U.S. in a universal form since last year. Like Ozempic, Liraglutide is a GLP-1 agonist that mimics naturally occurring hormones and works by inhibiting hunger cues and regulating insulin levels. However, its name recognition or popularity is not the same as the popularity of the new GLP-1 drug, for the simple reason: it does not work, may cause more serious side effects, and patients must inject it daily rather than weekly.
The FDA determined earlier this year that patented drugs such as Zepound and Ozempic are no longer lacking, ending regulations that allow online clinics to sell out-of-drug clinics, compound versions. As clinics and manufacturers lower sales of these compounds, many online clinics and manufacturers are embracing Liraglutide. Leading telemedicine company Hims added the universal Liraglutide to its lineup last month, joining more than a dozen competitors that already offer products in compound, universal or name brand forms.
Large compound pharmacies, such as Olympia in Florida, are already spinning the production of drugs and demand is expected to increase. “We have signed some pretty large Liraglutide contracts,” said Chief Financial Officer Joshua Fritzler. “We can think of it as a way to treat semaglutide and tirzepatide,” said the active ingredients in Ozempic and Zepbound. Fritzler said Olympia plans to start increasing production this summer.
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Zepbough have been declared for their unparalleled success in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. Researchers believe that patients from addiction to Parkinson’s disease also have the potential to help patients with a variety of other diseases. After the explosion of demand for GLP-1 in recent years, the FDA announced that some name brand versions were officially insufficient. This means that doctors can legally prescribe cheaper “compound” versions of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide with the same active ingredients as the original ingredients.
The booming growth of composite pharmacies and telemedicine startups selling these alternative GLP-1 products online has attracted millions of customers to be unable to afford or unwilling to pay higher prices for name-branded drugs, which are often not covered by insurance. Now, the shortage of both drugs is over. The FDA grace period is for manufacturers to stop production and sale of composite Tirzepatides, with Semaglutide deadlines on May 22. However, Liraglutide has been in short supply since April 2023.
Some telemedicine companies are continuing to offer what they say more complex drugs because they are not technically direct copies of patented drugs because they use customized doses or added vitamins. Eli Lilly has sued some of these versions, accusing them of illegality. Other telemedicine companies and compounds are working safely, stopping sales altogether. (For example, Olympia is stopping Semaglutide generation.)
